


Discoveries

by orphan_account



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-10-09
Updated: 2000-10-09
Packaged: 2019-05-15 12:22:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14790453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: CJ explores her feelings for Toby.I Can't Make You Love Me





	Discoveries

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Disclaimers: The West Wing and it's characters are the property of Aaron Sorkin, Warner Brothers and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this. The song "I Can't Make You Love Me" is the property of Bonnie Raitt and her record label. No copyright infringement is intended

Rating: PG

Summary: CJ explores her feelings for Toby (Sequel to I Can't Make You Love Me)

 

It was strange to walk into CJ's office, and not see Gail. The goldfish had been a fixture of her office for almost two years, but when Danny had broken up with her she gave him the fish. She assumed that he had taken Gail back to his apartment, but she didn't know for certain. It had been two weeks since that had happened, and it had been the most awkward two weeks of CJ's life. The briefings had been hard at first, but they were getting easier every day. Of course that could be because Danny had taken a leave of absence from his paper. Then there was Josh. Josh who wanted to know why Danny had ended it, Josh who wanted to break every bone in Danny's body for hurting her, but she finally had been able to talk him out of it. Of course there was also Toby. He had weighed the most on her mind lately.

She still didn't know if Danny was right or not. In many ways, CJ wasn't really ready to think about the possibility of that. Everything still hurt too much. She didn't even know why she had told Toby everything that night at her apartment. She wasn't thinking clearly then. If she had been she wouldn't have told him anything.

"CJ." Toby's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Yeah."

"Do you have the education report?"

"Yeah, just a minute." CJ said as she looked for the report. "Here it is." She said as she handed it to him.

"Thanks." Toby said and turned to leave. When he reached the door he turned back and said. "What are you doing for dinner tonight?"

"I thought I would work late and just grab something here at my desk." CJ replied.

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" Toby asked.

"Toby, I don't know if that is such a good idea."

"It's just a friendly dinner, nothing more, nothing less."

"I don't know."

"CJ, I realize that you are still uncertain of a lot of things. To be completely honest with you so am I. But I would like to have dinner with you sometime. I'm not going to give up on this."

"Okay." CJ laughed. "I'll have dinner with you tonight."

"Good, how about around eight?"

"Okay. Sounds good."

"Okay." Toby said and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They went to a small Italian restaurant near the White House. It was quiet that night, and there was no one they knew at the restaurant.

"How are you doing really?" Toby asked.

"I don't really know. Look I'm sorry I told you those things the other day."

"There are a lot of things we haven't talked about."

"Yeah there are." CJ replied.

"We should probably talk about those things."

"We should, but I don't think I'm ready for that conversation." CJ said.

"I know that. But we probably do need to have that conversation."

"Yeah, we do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After having dinner that night, Toby and CJ spent a lot their free time together. CJ was starting to realize that Danny had probably been right. She probably was at least a little bit in love with Toby. She and Toby had decided that they would have dinner at her apartment that night.

CJ quickly answered the door when she heard the doorbell ring. "Hello, Toby." She said as she opened the door.

"Hi." Toby said as he handed her the bouquet of flowers he had brought her.

"Thank you. I'm going to go get a vase for these. Make yourself at home." CJ said as she went to get a vase.

Toby looked around the apartment while CJ was gone. It was the first time he had been in her apartment. It was done in soft natural colors, and suited her sense of style perfectly.

"Can I get you something to drink?" CJ asked as she came back into the room.

"No, thank you." Toby said.

"Dinner should be ready in a few minutes."

"Okay."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dinner they sat quietly on the couch talking. Toby finally brought up the subject that was on both of their minds.

"Do you ever think about it?"

"I guess we are going to have the conversation now?"

"If you are ready for it."

"I think I am. And yes it does cross my mind occasionally."

"Why didn't we ever talk about it?" Toby wondered.

"I don't know. I always assumed that we both thought it was a mistake, and that it would be better if we let things go back to the way they were before. But I don't know if things did go back to the way they were before."

"Neither do I."

"Did you think it was a mistake?" CJ asked.

"No, I never thought that night was a mistake."

"Neither did I." CJ said quietly.

"You told me that Danny ended it because he thinks you are in love with me."

"Yeah."

"Is he right?"

"I don't know. He could very well be." CJ admitted softly.

"What do you want to do about that?" Toby asked.

"I would like to know if I am in love with you." CJ laughed.

"So would I." Toby agreed.

"Toby there is one thing I know. I have strong feelings for you. I think they go beyond friendship."

"Do you want to see where those feelings will go?" Toby asked.

"Yeah I do." CJ said.

Toby turned towards her and reached his hand out to touch her cheek. CJ placed her had on top of his. Toby then gently kissed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I can't believe that we've managed to keep this secret for so long." CJ said to Toby three months later. They had been out to dinner that night, and had gone back to her apartment for coffee.

"I wouldn't say that too loud." Toby said. "If you do someone may find out, and we'll be all over the papers."

"That's true." CJ laughed. "Would you like to dance?"

"Yeah."

As they were dancing, CJ laid her head against his shoulder. "You know, I think I have made a decision." CJ said.

"Really what about?"

Smiling CJ lifted her head from his shoulder. "I love you." She said.

Toby smiled at her and traced his thumb over her lips. "I love you too."

"I probably have for a long time." CJ admitted quietly.

"Me too." Toby said as he brushed her hair back from her face. Toby then kissed her. CJ kissed him back, and the kiss quickly turned passionate.

"Stay with me tonight." CJ whispered.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, I wouldn't have asked if I hadn't been." CJ said.

"Okay." Toby said and started to kiss her again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Epilogue----------------- Three Months later.

Somehow the press had figured out that Toby and CJ were an item. However, the fallout from that had not been as bad as either of them had expected it to be. If anything it had brought them closer together, and there was no doubt now in either of their minds that their relationship was very serious. CJ had been shocked that morning when she saw Danny in the press room. She had not known that he was coming back.

"Come in." CJ said when there was a knock on her door early that evening.

"Hey, CJ." Danny said as he came through the door.

"Hi, how are you?" CJ asked.

"I'm fine. I couldn't help but see the papers a couple of weeks ago."

"I guess not." CJ laughed.

"I'm glad you and Toby are together. I hope that he makes you happy."

"He does. And you were right. I was in love with him."

"Yeah, I know. I'm glad that you realized it."

"So am I." CJ smiled.

"CJ." Toby said as he walked into her office. "Are you ready to go home?" Seeing Danny sitting in her office, Toby extended his had to him . "Danny, I heard you were back. How are you?"

"Fine thank you." Danny said shaking Toby's hand. "I'll leave now. It's good to see both of you again."

After Danny left CJ started getting her things together to leave. Toby shut her office door and put his arms around her.

"I thought we weren't going to show any affection at work." CJ said as she leaned against him.

"Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Not since we got up this morning." CJ laughed.

"I love you, CJ." Toby said and kissed her.

"I love you too. Now why don't you take me home. I suddenly find myself wanting to be alone with you." CJ said.

The end.

  

  


End file.
